Scottish Executive

Alzheimer's Disease

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to address the issue of postcode prescribing for access to drugs for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mr Tom McCabe: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (then the Health Technology Board for Scotland) approved the use of donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease in April 2001. Doctors can prescribe these drugs, if clinically appropriate, as one component of treatment.

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to national bus companies regarding the delivery of the concessionary travel scheme across local authority boundaries.

Tavish Scott: Discussions have taken place with key stakeholders including bus operators on the concessionary fares commitments outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland . These commitments include delivery of concessionary travel across local authority boundaries through the introduction of a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities.

Concessionary Travel

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of subsidy is awarded to each bus company for concessionary travel.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is not held centrally. The contractual arrangements for the 16 local concessionary travel schemes throughout Scotland are between the local transport authorities and the transport operators.

Crime

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to respond to fear of crime with information about levels of crime.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the levels of crime recorded by the police in Scotland is published annually through a National Statistics Statistical Bulletin: Recorded Crime in Scotland . These bulletins show a 25% reduction in total crime since 1991.

  The Scottish Crime Surveys show that the proportion of respondents worried about becoming a victim of crime has reduced from 52% in the 1993 survey to 48% in the 2000 survey.

  The Statistical Bulletins and Scottish Crime Surveys are displayed on the Scottish Executive website.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for determining payments under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme for claimants in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: The size of awards paid in recognition of victims’ injuries is fixed according to a tariff set in accordance with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995. There are 25 levels of compensation for injuries ranging from £1,000 to £250,000. Compensation may also be paid for lost earnings and/or special expenses, with the maximum combined amount payable under the scheme being £500,000.

  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme is a Great Britain scheme and therefore applies in England and Wales as well in Scotland. A full guide to the scheme is available from the authority’s website at www.cica.gov.uk.

Crown Estate

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to speed the transfer of regulatory powers of the Crown Estate Commission to local authorities.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: No regulatory powers are being transferred from the Crown Estate to local authorities.

  However, the Executive is currently taking forward work on the extension of planning controls to cover marine fish farming. There will not be a formal transfer of function from the Crown Estate to the relevant planning authority. Local authority planning functions will be extended and replace the informal, non-statutory development consent arrangements currently operated by the Crown Estate.

Culture

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote Burns Night, detailing events, activities, costs and funds available to organisations, departments and non-departmental public bodies.

Mr Frank McAveety: Scotland’s tourism industry benefits greatly from this country’s cultural history and Burns is one of Scotland’s greatest cultural icons. His work is well known around the world, and Burns Night presents an excellent opportunity for the promotion of Scotland as a tourist destination. How this is done is primarily a matter for VisitScotland and other agencies. However, the Scottish Executive does promote Burns within its tourism and cultural strategy. A wider understanding of his work has been encouraged through the Executive’s commitment of £300,000 to the Scottish Arts Council over the last three years to develop a range of socially inclusive Burns projects. In addition the Executive provided £100,000 for the second Burns and a’ that Festival last year, which provided an opportunity for Scots and visitors alike to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns. And the 250th anniversary of Burn’s birth in 2009 will be used to attract many more visitors to Scotland to see his homeland for themselves.

Culture

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what amount it has budgeted for the Scottish Entente Cordiale centenary celebrations in 2004.

Mr Frank McAveety: Ministers have committed up to £500,000 as the Scottish contribution to the celebrations of the centenary of the Entente Cordiale. This investment has already generated substantial additional partnership contributions, including private sector sponsorship and the total will increase further in the coming months. The final value of the programme will be reported to Parliament in due course.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are required at Scottish airports and ports to facilitate the implementation of Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in particular in respect of the travel of dogs for people who are visually impaired.

Nicol Stephen: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is a UK reserved matter. It is the duty of the service providers at ports and airports, under Part III of the act which covers goods, facilities and services, to avoid discrimination against disabled people in respect of matters like timetables, booking facilities, waiting rooms etc at airports and ferry terminals.

  In Scotland the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland who advise ministers on transport needs of disabled people and how to improve accessibility of transport have helped ferry operators look at accessibility issues. This included accessibility for people with visual impairments.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any evidence that drug treatment programmes entered into on a voluntary basis rather than through compulsion are more successful in rehabilitating drug misusers.

Hugh Henry: Since we do not operate compulsory treatment programmes in Scotland, such a comparison is impossible to make. Those community disposals, including drug treatment and testing orders, containing a treatment component require the offender to indicate a willingness to participate before the court imposes the order.

  There is evidence, however, that both voluntary treatment and community disposals have positive impacts on levels of illicit drug misuse and offending.

Emergency Planning

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency arrangements are in place to deal with casualties that may result from any terrorist attacks in light of plans to reduce the number of accident and emergency units serving Greater Glasgow from five to two.

Mr Tom McCabe: Greater Glasgow NHS Board is responsible for emergency planning in Glasgow.

  They have a dedicated emergency planning officer in place with the responsibility of co-ordinating a major incident plan with partner agencies including local authorities and neighbouring NHS boards. The plan is regularly updated and is designed to make the best use of local and regional health care facilities in the event of significant casualties.

Film Industry

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has had in the making of any motion pictures currently being made on the life of Robert Burns.

Mr Frank McAveety: Scottish Screen is the agency charged by the Executive with responsibility for support of the screen industries. There are no current motion pictures on Robert Burns being made in which Scottish Screen is involved. The agency has been involved in script development on a Burns project that is expected to be the subject of a lottery application in 2004.

Flooding

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current annual cost of flood damage, caused by climate change, is to property and business.

Allan Wilson: It is not possible to say if any single instance of flooding is attributable to climate change directly, and we do not collect separate data on any marginal increase in annual flood damage cost it may cause.

  The Executive is about to publish updated research entitled Climate Change: Review of levels of protection offered by flood prevention schemes. This research will allow a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on flood risk.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the benefits of an awareness-raising campaign with the general public to reduce the incidence of air-related deep vein thrombosis.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has no plans for such a campaign. The possible effects of air travel as a trigger factor in deep vein thrombosis have already received widespread publicity.

Health Promotion

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will promote healthy eating in a way that captures the imagination of Scottish people, particularly the young.

Mr Tom McCabe: Promoting healthy eating is a responsibility shared with a number of different partners. At a national level, NHS Health Scotland has developed Adventures In Food Land specifically for the pre-school sector to promote healthy eating in a fun way. At a local level, healthy eating in schools is being promoted through imaginative approaches for example through the use of mascots and through regular consultation with pupils on provision of school meals. The Executive and NHS Health Scotland will continue to develop imaginative approaches to inspire and motivate parents and individuals to make healthier choices.

Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in respect of the statement by Historic Scotland that Castle Tioram in Moidart should be "ruins in a landscape" and whether it has any plans to allow the castle to be restored and, if so, what steps it will take to facilitate the restoration.

Mr Frank McAveety: Castle Tioram is a scheduled monument and thus of national importance for its archaeological and historic interest. At the public local inquiry held in 2001 into an application for scheduled monument consent for the restoration of the castle, Historic Scotland argued the case for consolidation. Scottish ministers subsequently refused scheduled monument consent for the application.

  Any future application for scheduled monument consent in respect of the castle would be considered on its merits and in line with Scottish Executive policy.

Hospitals

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Argyll and Clyde and Highland NHS Boards over the future of the west Highland hospitals.

Mr Tom McCabe: Health department officials have regular contact with all NHS boards to discuss a wide range of matters, including service delivery. But I look to Argyll and Clyde and Highland NHS boards to consider how best to deliver high quality and safe hospital services throughout the areas they serve.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had regarding any potential impact on the justice system resulting from the introduction of a European public prosecutor.

Cathy Jamieson: We have been fully engaged with the preparation of the UK line in the Intergovernmental Conference and have stressed the importance of ensuring that any agreed proposal for a European Public Prosecutor is compatible with the responsibility of the Lord Advocate for the prosecution of criminal cases in Scotland.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in discussions between its police division and Lothian and Borders Police regarding the funding of a combined Sheriff courthouse and police facility in Peebles.

Cathy Jamieson: Discussions are continuing with Lothian and Borders Police about financing options for this project in 2004-05.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of use is of restriction of liberty orders across Scotland.

Hugh Henry: 1,093 restriction of liberty orders have been imposed in the period from national rollout on 1 May 2002 to 31 December 2003. This includes six orders restricting offenders away from a specified place and 11 restricting offenders to and from specified places.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of use is by Dumbarton Sheriff Court of restriction of liberty orders as a disposal.

Hugh Henry: Dumbarton Sheriff Court has not yet imposed a restriction of liberty order.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for the use of a restriction of liberty order.

Hugh Henry: Offenders must be aged 16 or over and must consent to the order. The court must obtain and consider information about the places involved and the attitudes of the persons most likely to be affected by the enforced presence of the offender. In addition, provisions in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 made restriction of liberty orders a direct alternative to custody.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what offences restriction of liberty orders have been applied.

Hugh Henry: Restriction of liberty orders have been used in the main as a high tariff disposal. The table shows the range of offences for which restriction of liberty orders have been imposed for the period 1 January 2003 to 30 September 2003

  

 Offence
 Number of RLOs imposed


 Assault
 107


 Breach of the peace
 80


 Loitering with intent to steal
 6


 Housebreaking
 7


 Misuse of Drugs Act
 27


 Assault on a police officer
 8


 Reset
 9


 Theft
 144


 Criminal Law (Consolidation) 
  Act
 48


 Includes: 
suspicion of carrying a weapon – 3
vandalism – 5
having an article with a blade or point in a public place 
  – 16
carrying an offensive weapon – 24


 Criminal Procedure (Scotland) 
  Act
 36


 Includes: 
breach of a bail condition – 32
in breach of liberation by police – 1
suspicion of committing an offence – 1
failure to appear in court – 2


 Road Traffic Act
 69


 Includes: 
failure to provide a sample – 1
drink driving – 7
reckless driving – 6
stealing a motor vehicle – 9
driving without insurance – 1
driving whilst disqualified – 41


 Others:
 31


 Includes: 
attempt to open a lockfast vehicle – 1
attempt to pervert the course of justice – 6
attempted theft of a motor vehicle – 6
culpable and reckless conduct – 3
culpable fire-raising – 2
throwing a firework – 1
making a false 999 call – 1
fraud – 6
drinking alcohol in a public place – 1
making an obscene message over the phone – 1
uttering – 1
wilful fire-raising – 2

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether electronic tagging restriction of liberty orders as an alternative to custody have been effective in reducing crime.

Hugh Henry: It is too early to say what effect these orders have had on re-conviction rates since restriction of liberty orders only became available nationally from 1 May 2002 and as a direct alternative to custody under provisions in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 on 27 June 2003. Our statistics measure reconviction rates after two years.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of a restriction of liberty order.

Hugh Henry: The evaluation of the restriction of liberty (RLO) order pilot found that the cost of an RLO was £2,500 for a three-month order and £4,860 for a six-month order. This compared with £13,456 as the average cost of a six-month prison sentence. The average length of a restriction of liberty order is five and a half months.

Maternity Services

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is policy for an NHS board to have no consultant-led maternity services.

Mr Tom McCabe: The national policy context is laid out in the Framework for Maternity Services (2001) and the report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services (EGAMS 2002). This report provides guidance for NHS boards on levels of care ensuring that all women have access to the appropriate level of care.

  The report does not stipulate that each NHS board should have a consultant-led unit for intrapartum care but recommend that local maternity services should be planned in a regional context to provide services as close to a women’s home as is consistent with safe clinical care.

  The majority of antenatal and postnatal care will be provided on a local basis within, usually, a consultant-led service. For more highly specialised care, this may not be available locally, and patients may have to travel, but it will be within an integrated regional service.

Mountain Rescue

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland has received over each of the last three financial years including 2003-04; how the funding is disbursed, and what conditions are attached to such funding.

Cathy Jamieson: The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland is the representative and co-ordinating body for mountain rescue teams in Scotland. In the last three financial years the only Executive funding directly to the committee has been a payment in 2003-04 of £5,000, to contribute to the costs of the 2003 Conference of the International Commission for Alpine Rescue at Coylumbridge.

  Several Scottish police forces make financial or other contributions to mountain rescue teams affiliated to the committee. The Executive is providing an additional £300,000 to forces in 2003-04 to supplement the funds they would otherwise devote for this purpose. This funding will be ring fenced to mountain rescue teams affiliated to the committee.

Mountain Rescue

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what role police forces play, and what advice they provide, in relation to the funding arrangements for the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland is the representative and co-ordinating body for mountain rescue teams in Scotland.

  The police have primary responsibility for all land-based search and rescue, and for this purpose they call on support from other agencies including the voluntary mountain rescue teams affiliated to the committee. It is open to each police force to contribute to the costs of the teams working in the force area. The Executive took account of advice from Northern Constabulary and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland in our decision to provide an additional ring-fenced £300,000 per annum to police forces, from 2003-04, to enable forces to increase the amounts they provide to the affiliated teams.

Music Tuition

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring access to musical instrument tuition for students after primary six.

Peter Peacock: It is for local authorities and schools to make decisions on the level of instrumental tuition that will be made available to pupils. However, the Scottish Executive provides advice on the provision of music tuition in the classroom in the 5-14 Expressive Arts Guidelines.

National Health Service

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the programme to end the use of mixed sex wards to be completed.

Mr Tom McCabe: Further progress has been made towards achieving the target of ending mixed sex hospital wards. 99% of wards in Scotland are now fully compliant with our guidance. Discussions continue to take place with the three trusts that do not fully comply. These trusts have policies in place that are designed to maintain the privacy and dignity of patients in their care. The policies have been agreed with the local health councils.

National Health Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33587 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 February 2003, when responses to the consultation, Patient Rights and Responsibilities – A draft for consultation , will be made available.

Malcolm Chisholm: In line with the Scottish Executive guidance on good practice in consultations, the responses to the consultation paper Patient Rights and Responsibilities are available on Scottish Health on the Web at www.show.scot.nhs.uk and in the Scottish Executive Library.

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to address overcrowding in prisons in light of the Chief Inspector of Prisons’ comments in his annual report for 2002-03 on its impact on improving prison conditions, safety and the ability to address offending behaviour.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  High prisoner numbers are being tackled through record levels of investment by SPS in existing and new prisons. SPS is implementing development plans at four prisons to provide new and refurbished prisoner accommodation. The proposed new prisons at Low Moss and Addiewell will significantly increase the available prisoner accommodation in Scotland.

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how private prison provision compares to public provision in its impact on reducing offending.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No such comparison is possible.

  Both public and private providers provide similar opportunities for offenders to address their offending behaviour. These include programmes subject to independent expert accreditation on the same basis for public and private providers. The best available proxy measure for the impact of prison on reducing offending is the return to custody rate. Since many prisoners spend their sentence at more than one prison, it is not possible to disaggregate the return to custody data meaningfully between public and private providers.

  The most recent Return to Custody Bulletin is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 30506).

Prison Service

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3188 by Cathy Jamieson on 3 November 2003, when it will end slopping out in prisons.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  As I said in November we anticipate that slopping out can be ended about a year after the completion of the second of the two new prisons announced by the Executive as part of its decisions on the prison estates review.

Prison Service

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether drug treatment programmes delivered in prison may only be entered into by inmates on a voluntary basis or whether there are any powers to make such programmes compulsory for drug misusers.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are no powers to make programmes compulsory for drug misusers.

Property

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations within the last two years in respect of proposed changes to leasing laws.

Hugh Henry: In relation to commercial leases we have received one substantive representation that the rent review process should be made to follow the position in England and Wales. This proposal suggested restricting the use of upwards-only rent reviews and the introduction of an automatic right for business tenants to renew a lease when it expires. The law in Scotland favours a freedom of contract approach, and the Executive believes that this permits commercial tenants and landlords to tailor a lease to suit their own circumstances without significant statutory intervention. Consequently, we have not adopted these proposals, although we do of course remain open to further representations. Otherwise, we have received very few enquires about general leasing law.

  The Scottish Law Commission has kept the Executive informed of its work on long leases and on irritancy clauses in leases. These issues are outlined in the answer to question S2W-4934 on 15 January 2004.

  We have also received some representations on hutting in Scotland, as discussed in particular in the answers to parliamentary questions S1W-30533 on 7 November 2002, S2W-2164 on 22 September 2003, S2W-3141 and S2W-3146 on 31 October 2003.

  Answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Property

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to carry out a review of leasing law.

Hugh Henry: We do not have any immediate plans to conduct a general review of leasing law. We shall, however, continue to monitor the recent and on-going work of the Scottish Law Commission in relation to two specific leasing issues. These are the Commission’s Report on Irritancy in Leases of Land (June 2003 - Scot Law Com No 191) and its discussion paper on the Conversion of Long Leases (April 2001 – D.P. No 112). The text of both of these documents is available at:

  www.scotlawcom.gov.uk. The discussion paper will be followed by a report and draft bill, although there is at present no foreseeable legislative timeslot available for either project.

  A fundamental review of social rented sector tenancies formed the basis of the changes introduced in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, and there are no plans to hold a further review. Tenancies in the private rented sector are provided for in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much it would cost to electrify the railway line from Bathgate to Edinburgh.

Nicol Stephen: The electrification of the Edinburgh to Airdrie line, via Bathgate, is included within the specification of the Airdrie-Bathgate engineering feasibility study. The study’s completion is expected by the end of March 2004.

Rates

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that community amateur sports clubs will receive full benefit from the recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer about a mandatory 80% relief from business rates for such clubs.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive intends to introduce 80% mandatory rate relief for sports clubs which are registered as community amateur sports clubs with the Inland Revenue. This will require primary legislation.

  Local authorities in Scotland have discretionary powers to grant up to 100% rate relief to qualifying sports clubs. The level of relief granted varies between local authorities. Any relief granted is funded entirely by the Executive. Until mandatory rate relief can be introduced, the Executive is seeking to secure a voluntary agreement with all local authorities to grant - from 1 April 2004 - at least 80% discretionary rate relief to community amateur sports clubs.

Recycling

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support waste reduction and recycling among businesses following its announcement of funding for kerbside collections of recyclable material from domestic residences in Glasgow.

Ross Finnie: The National Waste Plan (Bib. number 26101) outlines the ways in which the Executive plan to tackle issues of non-municipal waste. In particular reference is made to advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) www.sepa.org.uk/wastemin/ and the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office who, in collaboration with the Federation of Small Business in Scotland, published the Energy and Environment SME Toolkit which can be viewed at http://www.energy-efficiency.org/pdf/toolkit.pdf.

  The Executive and SEPA have recently established a Scottish Waste Minimisation Steering Group which will focus on business waste minimisation. This includes representatives the business sector. We will publish a framework for dealing with non-municipal waste framework by mid-2004.

  In addition, the Executive currently funds the Business Environment Partnership and the North East Business Waste Management Partnership to provide advice and support to companies to help implement waste minimisation initiatives. The Executive also funds the Scottish Industrial Symbiosis Programme, which helps companies to work together to use each other’s by-products that would otherwise become waste.

Renewable Energy

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to allow monies collected by Ofgem under the fossil fuel levy to be made available to the Scottish Consolidated Fund and what steps it will take to ensure that any such monies are used for the purpose of promoting renewable energy.

Lewis Macdonald: The Energy Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 27 November, contains a clause which will enable Scottish ministers to direct Ofgem to pay funds from its Scottish fossil fuel levy account into the Scottish Consolidated Fund. The funds in question are surplus monies arising from the auctioning of renewable obligation certificates associated with electricity generated under Scottish renewables obligation contracts.

  The clause requires Scottish ministers to include provision in budget proposals to the Scottish Parliament that the funds raised shall be used to promote the use of energy generated from renewable sources.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it has monitored (a) job creation and (b) the creation of new businesses as a result of the construction of the M77 in the Greater Pollok area and the south side of Glasgow in general and whether its monitoring procedure is available for analysis.

Nicol Stephen: The M77 through Glasgow was promoted by Strathclyde Regional Council. Neither they, nor subsequently the Scottish Office nor Scottish Executive who became responsible for the operation of the road, have monitored job or business creation specifically arising out of the construction of the M77.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses have closed in the Greater Pollok area and the south side of Glasgow in general as a direct result of the construction of the M77.

Nicol Stephen: As far as is possible to determine, one business in namely Corkerhill Farm, closed as a direct result of the construction of the M77. The M77 corridor had been reserved for development since the 1930s and the route was chosen with the specific aim of avoiding property and businesses and the associated disruption.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been lost in the Greater Pollok area and the south side of Glasgow in general as a direct result of the construction of the M77.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs the construction of the M77 has generated for the Greater Pollok area and the south side of Glasgow in general.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally. However, since 1997, just after the road opened, there has been an increase in employment by 23% (8,201 jobs) in the Greater Pollok area and the south side of the city in general.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of clearing the backlog in local authority roads maintenance.

Nicol Stephen: Responsibility for the maintenance of non-trunk roads lies with each council as the local roads authority for each area. The Executive has not made any estimate of the cost of outstanding works on local roads.

Roads

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the access arrangements from the village of Howwood to the A737.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to upgrade the access arrangement from the village of Howwood to the A737. However, Amey Highways has been commissioned to carry out an Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) study on the section of the A737 between Howwood and Barrodger. Any recommendations arising from this investigation will be considered and prioritised for implementation along with other AIP schemes.

Roads

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Amey Highways Ltd will be upgrading junctions on the A737 or carrying out other works to improve the safety of that road.

Nicol Stephen: Schemes to install roundabouts at the A737/A760 Roadhead Junction and the A737/B777 junction at Head Street on the Beith Bypass are being progressed with a view to construction in 2004-05. Amey Highways is acting as agent for the Scottish Executive for the Roadhead Junction scheme and North Ayrshire Council is agent for the Head Street Junction scheme.

  The following Accident Investigation and Prevention (AIP) schemes are also being programmed and prioritised by Amey Highways for implementation in 2004:

  Middleton to St James Roundabout (improved signing, lining and reactivation of St James Roundabout signals).

  Dalry and Highfield (improved signing and lining).

  Any appropriate measures identified in Howwood to Barrodger AIP study (due end January 2004).

  Any appropriate measures identified in Linclive Junction AIP study (due end January 2004).

  In addition the A737 is due to be reconstructed and widened in 2004 between Barrmill Road Junction and Manrahead Roundabout. The Scottish Executive is also contributing to the Dalry Town Centre Traffic Management Scheme currently being carried out by North Ayrshire Council.

Roads

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who would be responsible, under its agreement with Amey Highways Ltd, for initiating road and road junction upgrading schemes on the A737 and who would finance such upgrades.

Nicol Stephen: Road and road junction improvements are usually identified in Route Strategy Studies, Accident Studies or following a study of a discrete section of road/road junction. Any of these studies might be undertaken by Amey Highways Ltd although other agencies can also carry out this work on behalf of the Executive. As the A737 is a trunk road, responsibility for initiating and financing improvement schemes generally lies with the Scottish Executive except where schemes are brought forward as part of a developer’s contribution to infrastructure required as part of a planning development.

Scottish Executive Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of reports in The Herald on 2 and 3 January 2003 that nearly one third of its suppliers are not paid within its target period of 30 days, what the precise reasons are for this; what steps it has taken, and what further steps it will take, to address this situation; what estimate it has made of the impact of late payments of these bills on businesses in Scotland, and whether any late payments have resulted in interest being added onto such unpaid bills and, if so, at what rate and in what proportion of cases.

Mr Andy Kerr: I recognise the importance to business of prompt payment of invoices. This is why our policy is to aim for payment within 30 days. The Scottish Executive’s 2002-03 accounts reported that 68.5% of invoices were paid within the target period that year. This reflected difficulties some staff had in making payments following the introduction of a new computerised financial and accounting system. The Executive acted promptly to deal with the difficulties, and continues to take specific action when particular problems arise. As the accounts record, performance had improved to almost 80% by March 2003, and has since improved further, with over 87% of invoices paid within 30 days in December, very similar to the average performance in 2001-02. I am keen to improve the performance even more.

  It is not possible to assess accurately the impact of delays on business, because of the variability in the nature of the businesses, and the different delays that might be encountered. No late payments resulted in interest being added to unpaid bills.

Sport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rules governing the consideration of applications to  sportscotland for capital funding under the Lottery Fund have altered and, if so, when such alteration was made; whether the maximum capital limit for any single application under the sports facilities programme has been, or will be, altered under such rules and, if so, what the alterations were; what representations the Executive has made to Her Majesty's Government in connection with any such change, and whether such representations will be made public.

Mr Frank McAveety: Sportscotland are currently reviewing the maximum limit for awards made under the Sports Facilities programme. A paper discussing possible amendments to the maximum limits is being presented to the  sportscotland board on 28 January when a decision will be made. Any changes to the award limits will be made available to the public.

Teachers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns in respect of the impact of the withdrawal of the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland (HAS) from the Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

Peter Peacock: We regret that the Headteachers Association have felt it necessary to withdraw from the teacher’s panel. This is however a matter for the HAS and their membership. We remain committed to supporting a place for HAS on the SNCT.

Teachers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that, in any negotiations on teachers’ working conditions, the views of members of the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland are adequately and fairly taken into account.

Peter Peacock: Working conditions for teachers are negotiated through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). The make-up of the teachers’ side of the SNCT is a matter for the teachers’ panel, which is made up of the various teachers’ organisations. The headteachers’ associations have both recently withdrawn from the panel. The Executive has no statutory powers to intervene but has made it clear our view that we regret both that headteachers were not previously represented at the main SNCT, and their subsequent withdrawal from the teachers’ panel. We remain committed to supporting a place for Headteachers’ Association of Scotland (HAS) on the SNCT. The Executive meets regularly with HAS and we welcome their perspectives to help inform our work.

UK Legislation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4323 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2003, whether it has discussed the content and implications of Her Majesty’s Government’s draft Gambling Bill as part of its regular contact with that government.

Cathy Jamieson: Yes. The Executive has discussed with Her Majesty’s Government the content and implications of the bills in its Legislative Programme, including the Gambling Bill.

UK Legislation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4462 by Cathy Jamieson on 11 December 2003, whether it has discussed the content and implications of Her Majesty's Government’s draft Asylum and Immigration Bill as part of its regular contact with that government.

Cathy Jamieson: Yes. The Executive has discussed with Her Majesty’s Government the content and implications of the bills in its Legislative Programme, including the Asylum and Immigration Bill.

UK Legislation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S2W-4369 by Cathy Jamieson on 15 December 2003, whether it has discussed the content and implications of Her Majesty's Government’s draft Corruption Bill as part of its regular contact with that government.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive has discussed with Her Majesty’s Government the content and implications of the bills in its legislative programme and, while the current programme does not include a draft Corruption Bill, proposals for such a bill were raised and have been discussed with her Majesty’s Government in the context of its previous programme.